A chronicle of ideas and projects from an expert thinker in repurposing obsolete technology and discarded materials.

Custom Ukulele and Alto Horn Stands

One thing I learned from my poppa about playing music was that if one wants to practice often, one needs an instrument that's readily accessible. He'd always keep his acoustic guitar next to the couch and play during commercials while he watched TV. Sometimes if he was really getting into something, the mute button would stay on for even longer.

Lately with my life's focus switching more to fabrication, art, and technology, music has taken quite a backseat. In fact, several days can go by now without me so much as touching a musical instrument.

Remember my Dad's tried and true technique, I decided to build stands for two of the instruments I'm most interested in right now: the ukulele, and the alto horn.

I welcomed the challenge of this build, but my main reason for undertaking was purely practical - ukulele and alto horn stands are a bit hard to come by.

So I rummaged through my junk boxes and found some parts that looked promising. The materials laid out below are CDs, an old outdoor lighting timer unit, desklamp hood, piece of stage PA hardware, brass streetlamp finial, part from a floodlight mount, and a cheap, old cymbal stand.

I ended up using most of these parts in the build, plus some others. Most notably, a 1950s era Ludwig Speed King kick drum pedal to hold the uke up at an angle.